Bobbin



July 7, 1959 R. W. THAYER BOBB IN Filed June 19, 1955 v mm m MAMMM Wm/ United States Patent BOBBIN Robert W. Thayer, Greensboro, N.C.; Edna C. Thayer, executrix of said Robert W. Thayer, deceased Applicatiim July 19, 1955, Serial No. 523,009

6 Claims. (Cl. 242-130) 'The present invention relates to bobbins and more particularly to bobbins suitable for employment in sur- ;gical stitching instruments such as that shown and de- -.scribed in my United States Patent 2,808,055 dated October 1, 1957, and entitled Surgical Stitching Instruments. .A bobbin made in accordance with the teachings of athis invention will 'be of the type having characteristics :making it especially suitable to adequately meet the :stringent requirements of surgery.

This invention also relates to bobbins of the type suitable for employment in sewing machine shuttles, ;tailors tack needles, and sewing awls.

Although it is not intended to so limit this invention :the invention will be described in connection with a sur- ;gical stitching instrument such as shown and described ;in my patent referred to above.

A bobbin suitable for employment in combination with fsurgical instruments must be constructed so that it'may be easily taken apart for cleaning and adjustment. 7 .A primary object of this invention is to provide an improved bo bbin which may be easily disassembled for cleaning and quickly reassembled in a manner which will insure uniform and reliable performance.

It is often desirable to employ bobbins of the type which may be loaded with apre-wound spool of thread or other filament-like material. This is particularly true in connection with surgical stitching instruments wherein it is necessary to exercise a high degree of care in the maintenance of proper sterilization of the suture'material from the time it is sterilized to the time itis used by the surgeon.

.Another object of this invention is to'provide a bobbin which may be supplied with sterile suturematerial' in'a convenient form in order to enable a surgeon to quickly load the bobbinwith a desired quantity of the proper :suture material.

An important feature of a'bobbin is to provide a means of fastening the end of the filament-like material in a manner such that the end maybe easily removed from ithe bobbin for threading or other purposes.

.It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved form of bobbin upon which the end'of the filament-like material unay be temporarily secured.

It is often desirable in'the use of a bobbin to provide means for indicating when the supply of filament-like material is nearing exhaustion. In' this regard it is-very desirable to have an indication several inches'beforethe supply of filament-like material on the bobbin becomes exhausted.

Still another object of thisinvention is to provide an improved bobbin whereby the user may govern the amount of filament-like member remaining on the-bobbin after an indication that the supply is becoming exhausted.

According to this invention there is provided a holder vfor a filament-like material consisting of a round rodor shaft having a'screw thread on one end, a' helical'spring on at least a portion of the screw thread, the outside diameter of the rod-like member being greaterthan'the outside diameter of the screw thread but greater than the inside diameter of the helical spring. A nut is provided for the screw thread, the nut forming a collar for the shaft and the nut is adapted to hold the helical spring over those threads not covered by the nut. The combination of the helical springover the screw threads provides a means for gently gripping the filament-like material. A desired number of turns may be wound upon the combination of the helical spring and the screw thread in order to provide a temporary fastening for the end of the filament-like material. In one form of the invention a taper is provided on the rod-like member to receive a spool of the filament-like material. The spool of the filament-like material consists of a cylinder having a taper on the inside to correspond to the taper on the rod-like member. The spool is also provided with a flange at one end of the spool. Means are provided in the flange on the end of the spool for fastening one end of the filament-like material. The other end of the filament-like material on the spool may be temporarily fastened to the bobbin in the manner described above by wrapping the filament-like material on the combination of helical spring and the screw threads.

Other and incidental objects of the invention will become apparent after a reading of the following specification and on inspection of the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of one form of surgical instrument to which this invention of a bobbin is particularly adapted tobe employed.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of one form which the bobbin may take in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 3 is an exploded view of another form which the bobbin may take. In Figure 3 the bobbin is shown in combination with aspool upon which the filament-like material may be supplied.

Figure -4 is a sectional view of the bobbin spool shown "in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detailed view of'the bobbin spool flange. Figure 6 is a detailed view of another form of bobbin spool flange.

"inmyUnited States Patent 2,808,055 dated October 1,

1957, and entitled Surgical Stitching Instruments. The surgical stitching-instrument consists of a hollow handle 11 which holds a bobbin containing a supply of suture material 13. The suture material 13 is threaded through 'the eye of aneedle 15 supported in asleeve 17. The

needle 15 fits snugly into a taper in -sleeve 17. Details concerning a preferred form of needle and its associated .sleeve and collar are shown and described in my United States'Patent 2,808,054 dated October 1,1957, and en- "titled Surgical Stitching Instruments.

'The suture material or other filament-like material 13 passes from the bobbin in the handle 11 through an opening 23 in the handle 11, to a slot 25 in the handle extension 19, through a groove in sleeve 17, and then to the eye of the needle 15.

InFigure 2 there is shown a bobbin made in accordance' with the teachings of one form of this invention. The bobbin-of Figure'Z consists of ahollow round rod,

"or shaft 41*with a shoulder 43. The diameter of the shoulder 43 is such that it will fit snugly in the handle 11 of the instrument shown in Figure 1. The shaft 41 is recessed at 45 and provided with grooves or screw threads 47. Helical spring 49 is arranged to fit over screw threads 47 and be secured over screw threads 47 by nut 51. Nut 51 also serves as a shoulder for shaft 41. Shoulder 43 has an enlarged portion 53' of which the outside diameter is substantially equal to the outside diameter of the handle 11 of the instrument shown in Figure 1 and forms a part of the handle. The end of the enlarged portion 53 is tapered.

When loading the bobbin the suture material is first wound tightly on shaft 41 at the location of the spring 49. In so winding, the suture material slips through the openings in the spring 49 and into grooves or screw threads 47 on the shaft 41. By pulling gently the suture material is secured well enough to offer resistance to removal. The remainder of the suture material is wound on the plain section of shaft 41. If several turns of the suture material are wound at the location of the spring the slight friction noticed in removing those turns furnish an indication that the supply of suture material is running low.

In one form of the invention the pitch of the helical spring 49 is substantially equal to the pitch of the screw threads 47 Turning now to Figure 3 there is shown another form of this invention. A hollow section of round rod or shaft 56 contains on the upper end thereof a screw thread or series of grooves 58. At the lower end of the section of shaft 56 there is a taper 59. A helical spring 61 is adapted to slide over the screw thread 58 and be slightly compressed thereon by a nut or collar 63.

The taper 59 is adapted to receive a spool consisting of a cylindrical member 65 having an internal taper corresponding to the taper 59 of the shaft 56. The spool has a flange 67 positioned at its lower end.

The spool is adapted to store a quantity of suture material. A pair of holes 69 are provided in the flange 67 as may be seen in Figure 5. The holes 69 in the flange 67 are arranged to receive the end of the suture material in order that it may be fastened securely when the suture material is wound upon the spool.

In another form of this invention shown in Figure 6 the flange 67 contains a groove 71 wherein the suture material may be slid to provide a fastening for one its ends. 1

It will be seen that a supply of the thread-like member may be wound on the spool and kept sterile until time of use. The sterile package may then be opened and the spool of suture material placed on the tapered section of the hollow rod 56 and the loose end of the suture material fastened temporarily to the bobbin by winding a few turns on the screw threads 58 through the helical spring 61.

Turning now to Figure 7 there is shown a bobbin of the type shown in Figure 3 installed in a surgical stitching instrument of the type shown in Figure l.

The bobbin is nested in the handle 11 and contains a supply of suture material 13. A needle 15 is supported in a sleeve 17. Sleeve 17 has an internal taper which corresponds to an external taper on the shank of needle 15. Sleeve 17 is secured to handle extension 19 by a collar 21 which screws onto handle extension 19.

The suture material 13 is passed from the bobbin through an opening 23 in the handle 11 to a slot 25 in the handle extension 19. The suture material 13 then enters and passes through a groove in sleeve 17 to the eye of the needle 15.

The bobbin shown in cross section in Figure 7 consists of a hollow round rod or shaft containing on its upper section a screw thread 58. At the lower end of the shaft there is a taper 59. A helical spring 61 is adapted to slide over the screw 58 and be compressed slightly by nut or collar 63 which forms an extension of handle 11.

The taper 59 is adapted to receive a spool which has an internal taper on its cylindrical portion 65 which corresponds to the external taper 59 on the bobbin. Suture material 13 is wound on the spool and in one form of the invention, a section of the suture material 13 near the end opposite to the end which is threaded through the needle 15 is wound on the spring 61 in order to give the user an indication when the supply of suture material 13 is nearing exhaustion.

In Figure 7, the upper end of handle extension 19 contains a recess into which a spindle 73 is mounted so that it will rotate freely on the handle extension 19. A knob 75 is adapted to screw into the upper end of handle extension 19. The knob 75 maintains the spindle 73 in position. The spindle 73 has an external taper which corresponds to the internal taper on the shaft of the bobbin so that when the bobbin is inserted in the end of the handle 11 the bobbin rotates freely on the upper portion of the handle extension 19.

When it is desired to remove the bobbin from the handle 11 the nut 63 may be grasped between the first and second fingers while the thumb of the same hand is pressed against knob 75. The bobbin will then slip off the tapered spindle 7'3 and slide out of the end of the handle 11.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is? I 1. A holder for a supply of thread like member comprising in combination a section of round rod, a screw thread on one end of said rod, a rotatable helical spring of uniform diameter on at least a portion of said screw thread, the outside diameter of at least a .part of said rod being greater than the outside diameter of said screw thread and greater than the inside diameter of said helical spring, the inside diameter of said helical spring being greater than the outside diameter of said screw thread, and a nut for said screw thread, said nut forming a collar for said rodand said nut adapted to hold said helical spring over threads not covered by said nut, whereby a portion of said thread like member may be wound about said screw thread through said helical spring.

2. A holder for a supply of thread like member comprising in combination a round rod, a taper on one end of said rod, the smaller diameter of said taper being at the end of said rod, screw threads on the end of said rod remote from the end of the rod having said taper, a rotatable helical spring of uniform diameter on at least a portion of said screw threads, the greatest outside diameter of said rod being greater than the outside diameter of said screw threads and greater than the inside diameter of said helical spring, the inside diameter of said helical spring being greater than the outside diameter of said screw threads, a nut for said screw threads, said nut forming a collar for said rod and said nut adapted to hold said helical spring over those threads not covered by said nut, a bobbin spool comprising a cylindrical member, and a flange on one end of said cylindrical member, a tapered hole running through the length of said cylindrical member the taper of said holecorresponding to the taper on the end of said rod whereby said spool will fit snugly on said rod, and whereby one end of said thread like member to be supplied from said spool may be fastened to said rod by winding a plurality of turns of said thread like member about said screw thread through said spring.

3. A bobbin for a supply of thread like member, said bobbin having a cylindrical body, said cylindrical body containing threads over at least a portion of its length, and a rotatable helical spring of uniform diameter positioned on said cylindrical body over at least a portion of the length of said threads, the inside diameter of said helical spring being only slightly greater than the outside diameter of said threads to bind the end section of a thread like member wound about said threads covered by said spring.

4. A bobbin for a supply of thread like element comprising in combination a cylindrical member, grooves in said cylindrical member, said grooves running around the circumference of said cylindrical member and over at least a portion of its length, and a rotatable helical spring arranged to slide over at least a portion of said grooves, whereby said thread like element may be fastened to said bobbin by winding the thread like element around said cylindrical member through said helical spring.

A bobbin for a supply of thread like material comprising a cylindrical member, a taper on one end of said cylindrical member said taper adapted to receive a bobbin spool, a screw thread on the end of said cylindrical member remote from said taper, a helical spring mounted to move along said cylindrical member at the location of said screw thread, and a collar for said bobbin, said collar threaded on its inside with threads corresponding to the screw thread on said cylindrical member, said collar adapted to hold said spring over said threads.

6. A bobbin comprising in combination a cylindrical member, a taper on said cylindrical member, a screw thread on said cylindrical member, a helical spring of uniform diameter on said screw threads, the outside diameter of said cylindrical member being greater than the outside diameter of said screw threads but greater than the inside diameter of said helical spring, a nut for said screw thread, said nut forming a collar for said bob bin holder and said nut adapted to hold said spring over screw threads not covered by said nut, and a spool adapted to hold a thread like member, said spool having an internal taper corresponding to the taper on said cylindrical member whereby said spool fits snugly on said bobbin and whereby said thread like member may be made fast to said bobbin by winding said thread like member about said screw threads through said helical spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,814,389 Iacobsen July 14, 1931 1,934,748 Swanber-g Nov. 14, 1933 1,964,385 Moore June 26, 1934 2,232,262 Parkinson Feb. 18, 1941 2,246,989 Sparkes June 24, 1941 2,434,609 Coffey Jan. 13, 1948 2,497,220 Humberson Feb. 14, 1950 2,597,836 Klie May 20, 1952 2,620,145 Klein Dec. 2, 1952 2,681,401 Anderson June 15, 1954 2,755,036 Terho July 17, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 28,194 Switzerland May 11, 1903 213,879 Switzerland June 3, 1941 12,635 Great Britain Oct. 22, 1885 

